Blood Bonding
by The Name Is Not Zippy
Summary: Raven loves scary movies, but something else is beginning to catch her fancy. A certain green something. Now free from Trigon's clutches, she plans to win Beast Boy's affection by using hope, honesty, and good old fashioned horror-show at the premiere of a Grindhouse festival. BBRae. Rated T for fake horror violence and some suggestive themes and language.
1. Raven's Reveal

***A/N* Hey, everyone! I decided to indulge myself in one of my personal favorite OTP's, Beast Boy x Raven, or as it's more commonly known, BBRae. Since there are so many great BBRae fics on this site, I decided that I might want to try adding to the library with a little one-shot. Tell me what you think, yeah? *A/N***

"Come on, Mandy."

"Jessie, I said no!"

A couple sat in an expensive looking convertible, parked in the middle of a nearly abandoned parking lot during the night. The clock on the radio read 11:30, and crickets could be heard in the background.

"Mandy, how long have we been dating, three months? Four? We've got to start somewhere, don't we?" A good looking boy in his late teens sat in the driver's seat, wearing a letterman jacket and a desperate expression. His girlfriend, an equally attractive brunette with a sizeable figure, remained adamant.

"Yes, but we can't just dive into a physical relationship. Haven't you read the health textbooks? You know how dangerous underage sex is nowadays!"

"The health textbooks say that about everything. And if you want, we don't have to start off so intimidate!"

"The word is 'intimate,' Jessie." Mandy replied with an exasperated sigh. "Isn't the fact that I love you enough to keep you happy?"

Jessie faltered a bit. "You know I love you, Mandy. But come on, I'm a dude in High School with a really hot girlfriend! Can't we at least touch each other wherever we want?"

"I'm sorry, Jessie, but the answer is no. Now, we can move past this and get on with our date, or you can just take me home until you can get over yourself."

Jessie, out of words to argue with, simply glared and started up his car. "If you want to be so uptight, fine!" he spat. With a screech of the tires, he made an extremely sharp U-turn and began driving towards the exit. Mandy made an offended noise and crossed her arms.

"God, you're so immature." She said.

"No, apparently I'm more mature than you, 'cause you're too scared to act like an adult!" Jessie shot back.

In the midst of their argument, the couple failed to notice a hooded pedestrian attempting to cross in front of the car, and reacted too late when they finally did. As Jessie mashed the brake, the person was flung onto the hood of the car, shattering the wind shield and laying limp. The two were in complete, open mouthed shock for a few moments.

"Jessie..?"

"…What?"

"Is he dead?"

Jessie gulped heavily. "I dunno." He managed weakly.

"You've gotta see! If he's alive, we could still save him. Jessie, I don't wanna go to jail." Mandy demanded tearfully.

"Alright, ALRIGHT. I'll go look. Stay in the car."

Jessie opened the car door and shakily stepped outside onto the pavement. He approached the figure on the hood. Not entirely sure what to do, he leaned towards the person's head.

"Uh… hello? Are you dead?" he whispered stupidly.

No response. Jessie shuddered, and poked the figure. "Hello?" he whispered again.

The figure twitched slightly, and Jessie sighed with relief. "It's okay Mandy, he's not dead." He called out. Mandy had her cell phone out. "I'm calling the police." She said.

Unbeknownst to the two teenagers, the figure raised its head. A single red eye lay in the center of the cloak's hood. Jessie turned to check on their victim, and froze.

"What the fu-"

Instantaneously, a tentacle emerged from the figure's body and seized Jessie's neck. Mandy screamed in horror and dropped her phone. Jessie flailed about like beached flounder as he was hoisted into the air by the tentacle. It squeezed his throat tighter, and blood ran from Jessie's eyes and Mandy helplessly screamed. Finally, Jessie's head burst off of his body in a geyser of bright red blood, spattering the car and the now fully upright cloaked being.

"JESSIEEE!" Mandy shrieked, and the figure's head snapped to face her. Within its sleeve, a giant claw burst through the remnants of the windshield, grabbing Mandy's face. As she screamed piteously, the figure gouged out both of her eyes with its razor sharp nails, and the girl collapsed onto the dashboard, dead, blood seeping from her eye sockets.

A foggy title hovered in front of that image. In dribbling green letters it read, "Wicked Scary: The Second Spree."

The image on screen paused, and Beast Boy turned to his teammates, beaming with delight.

"Is that not the coolest thing you've ever seen in your entire freaking life?" he exclaimed.

Robin crossed his arms and grinned. "I'll admit, I'm intrigued." He said.

"Where did you find this, B? There ain't even a trailer out for Wicked Scary 2 yet." Cyborg added.

Beast Boy placed a hand on his hip and raised his brows smugly. "Oh, I just had to do a little digging. It also helps that being a super famous hero can persuade a few editors to give you a sneak peek at the workprint."

"I, for one, would love to see a second installment of this tale of horror and delights!" Starfire said brightly.

Robin's expression suddenly became serious. "Yeah, but we can't forget what happened the last time we watched one of these movies."

Cyborg shrugged. "Hey, now that Father Four-Eyes is out of the picture, we shouldn't have to worry about Raven too much."

He then paused and put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "Hey, speaking of, have any of you seen Rae today?"

Beast Boy couldn't help but feel a little concerned as well. "Yeah, where is she? Did she even get breakfast this morning?"

"I saw her early this morning, she barely returned my hello." Robin said.

"Perhaps she has an illness." Starfire suggested.

"Or she's trying to hide something. You know how distant she gets when something's bugging her." Cyborg said.

Beast Boy frowned. "You think someone should check on her?" he said delicately.

Starfire beamed and raised her hand into the air. "I shall volunteer! I would delight in having the girl talk with Raven."

Cyborg chuckled. "No one's arguing with you there, Star."

Starfire rose into the air. "So it shall be done!" she proclaimed proudly before hovering away towards Raven's quarters.

"Hey, tell her she can only watch if she promises not to bring the monsters to life again!" Beast Boy called out jokingly.

Starfire reached Raven's room, and suddenly felt a wave of apprehension wash over her. Raven was a bit difficult to talk to about personal problems, no matter how commonplace they may be. Getting her to open up was a complex and rigid process, exactly the right questions had to be asked for her to come out of her shell even slightly. But Starfire quickly got over herself and knocked on the door.

"Raven, are you well?" she inquired through the door. When no response came, she surmised that she must have asked the wrong question. Clearing her throat, she tried again.

"Raven, we have something we would like for you to watch with us." Again, silence.

"We haven't heard even a whisper from you all day, my friend. Could you at least enlighten me as to why?"

Starfire had barely finished her request before the door flew open with alarming force. There Raven stood, hood pulled over her head, her expression grim.

"In." she said tersely, pointing to the dimly lit chamber behind her. Starfire was astonished. Raven barely let anyone see inside her room, let alone come inside. When she hesitated, Raven took her by the wrist and bodily tugged her inside. With a squeak, she complied.

Raven shut the door behind her, and turned slowly to Starfire.

"What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room under any circumstances unless I say otherwise. Understood?"

Starfire nodded. "Of course, dear friend."

"And you have to promise me that you won't overreact when I tell you." Raven added.

Starfire again nodded. "But what is this secret that troubles you so?"

Raven removed her hood, revealing her rapidly coloring cheeks. "Okay. One of my favorite film makers is Dario Argento…"

"This is what bothers you?"

"No. Let me finish, please." Raven said, keeping her voice as calm as she could manage.

"There's a movie place I like that shows a lot of art films. And the owner and I are friends. So, he had it arranged to show a marathon of Argento's movies, and he gave me two tickets to the premiere."

Starfire tilted her head slightly to the side. "I'm afraid I don't understand." She said after a long pause. "You worry about who to take?"

"Yes. Well, no. I… okay. It's not about the decision of _who _to take, it's who I'm taking and _why _I'm taking them."

"I can do little to help until you tell me who this person is. And I assure you, I will not be angry if it is someone other than myself."

Raven took a deep breath. "This… is very hard for me to admit."

"I have all the world's time." Starfire said understandingly.

Raven took a few more seconds, and then made a barely audible murmur, making no eye contact with Star.

"I want to take Beast Boy."

Starfire, a touch underwhelmed by the news, took her friends hand comfortingly. "I see no problem in that proposal."

"No… you don't understand. I don't want to take him as a friend…"

Starfire's eyes briefly narrowed in thought, then grew as wide as she could allow them to as she placed a hand over her mouth and let out a soft gasp.

"Oh my goodness… Raven, you have the crushing on Friend Beast Boy?"

Raven dipped her head in shame.

"How long have you possessed such feelings?" Starfire inquired, her voice quiet and excited.

"A few weeks after we defeated Dad… Trigon, I felt this weird heat in my chest whenever I touched him, or whenever he smiled at me… it didn't take long for me to figure out what was going on." Raven muttered.

Starfire gave a delighted giggle under her breath and took her friend's face in her palms. "Friend, this is no dilemma, this is a most joyous thing! Love is wonderful!"

Raven brushed her hands away and frowned. "This isn't love, okay? I just… want to spend more time with him."

"But you should still be happy, Raven!"

Raven sighed. "I know… but I can't just suddenly tell him. We've been friends for ages; do you know how much damage this could do to our team if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Starfire nodded understandingly. "I see your dilemma. I, too, have felt the pain love can cause."

"This isn't love!" Raven repeated insistently.

"But, where is the harm in taking Friend Beast Boy on a single date? You do not have to tell him of your feelings yet."

"I think if I ask him to go with me, it'll be pretty apparent. And like I said, what'll happen to the two of us if he says no?"

Starfire raised a brow. "Raven, I think you misjudge how strong the bond between you and Friend Beast Boy is already. Have you forgotten how much he has done for you in the past? He cares for you far too much to allow something so radical to happen."

Raven glanced about her room. She saw the giant chicken doll Beast Boy had one for her that night at the carnival. She saw the drawer where she kept the lucky penny he had given her. She saw the mirror to her mind where he had been brave enough to venture to restore her well-being.

"…You're right." She said. "But… I'm still kind of scared."

"As you should be. It is very frightening to ask someone to be your beloved, but there is nothing wrong with such tension."

There was a period of silence before Starfire spoke up. "When is the Festival for this Argento?"

"Tonight." Raven said, and Starfire gasped.

"Tonight?! Raven, there is no time to be lost! We- forgive me, _you_ must make your maneuver!"

"It's going on all Week, it's just the premiere tonight." Raven added dismissively, but Starfire remained adamant.

"You have two passes of entry for tonight only, correct?" Raven dipped her shoulders. She had her beat there.

"Fine. I'll do it… but not in front of everyone. And you can't tell anybody."

Starfire opened the door. "I shall send him. Best of luck to you."

Starfire closed her door, and joyfully back flipped into the air as her heart soared. She could hardly contain her laughter as she took off down the hall.


	2. The Plan

***A/N* Back for more? Good! This chapter is a bit on the short side, but don't worry, more is coming. Hold onto your hats. *A/N***

Raven couldn't relax enough to meditate. She couldn't even sit down. She simply paced the width of her room repeatedly. What was she doing? How was she going to do this? These, among the thousands of other questions, knocked back and forth in her head. She would be lying through her teeth if she said she wasn't nervous. She would also be lying if she didn't admit that she was also a tiny bit excited. The last time her heart had beat this fast, her life was in danger.

*knock knock*

"Uh, Raven? You in?"

The butterflies in her stomach underwent metamorphosis into full on hornets, stinging her inside and injecting her with fear. Pausing to allow her voice to return, she managed a normal sounding "Come in."

The door was slid open carefully, and the brighter light outside illuminated the silhouette of the changeling.

"Hey, Rae. Starfire said you wanted to see me, you feeling okay?"

No. "I'm fine."

Beast Boy scratched the back of his head. "Oh, cool." He said, imitating relief, but he couldn't shake the awkward feeling hovering over the room. "So, why'd you call me up here then?"

Raven closed her eyes slowly and reopened them. This is what she had been dreading. Puffing out her cheeks, she exhaled. "Beast Boy, do you…"

Beast Boy glanced to the side shiftily as Raven struggled with her sentence.

"Do you know who Dario Argento is?" she finished, silently cursing herself for not asking what she meant to.

"Mario who?" Beast Boy replied.

"I thought so. He's a horror movie director, and he's made some of my favorite movies."

"Oh. Wait, didn't he do that really screwed up movie with the movie guys and the cannibal people in the jungle?"

"No." Raven answered quickly. "Look, there's a movie theatre I like that's showing a lot of his best movies, and… I was wondering if you wanted to come."

Beast Boy grinned. "Yeah, sure! You know I love a good scare now and again! Let me go get the others."

Beast Boy turned to leave, but Raven grabbed his shoulder hastily. "Wait, don't!" she insisted, a little more desperate than she meant to.

The changeling turned to Raven with a confused look. "What's the matter? You don't want to?" he asked good naturedly.

Raven released him and sighed. "I do. But… just the two of us. You know, together." She said weakly, shuffling her feet.

"Wait, I-" Beast Boy's perplexed frown slowly illuminated with understanding as the words sunk in. "Oh. You mean, like…"

Raven nodded. "Only if you want to."

Beast Boy glanced about himself. Even though he understood her proposal, he couldn't bring himself to believe it.

"Seriously? You want to go," he whispered the next word. "out, with me of all people?"

"Would I be asking you otherwise?" she said irately, her chilly nature slipping through her otherwise embarrassed exterior.

"Uh… well, alright." He uttered.

Raven felt the corners of her mouth elevate inadvertently. "Alright. It's at eight tonight, meet me outside of my room. Dress decent, and for the love of everything, don't tell anyone."

Beast Boy nodded, the information entering his numb brain. He turned to leave, then turned back. "Why me?" he said, pointing to his face for reference.

"See you tonight." She countered, closing the door in his face.

Beast Boy blinked. He wasn't entirely sure what to do next. The exchange still sitting in his brain like a burn, he turned and walked back into the common room stiffly.

Robin turned when he saw his green friend enter. "Hey. What's up with Raven?" he inquired, studying the hollow expression on Beast Boy's face.

"Oh, uh… flu. She can't get out of bed; she wanted me to get her a book to read. She's in really bad shape, I wouldn't go in." Beast Boy rattled off this lie as he opened the door to the fridge and took out his quart of soy milk.

"Too bad, wonder how she caught it." Cyborg said.

Beast Boy opened up the carton of milk and chugged the entire thing in one go, downing every last drop. He let out a sizeable belch and threw the carton over his shoulder, which landed a few feet to the right of the trash can with a soft thud.

"Dang. I don't think I've ever been that thirsty." Cyborg quipped, smiling.

"Guys, I'm gonna go shower." Beast Boy said, raising a hand dismissively as he left the common room.

"Since when does Beast Boy shower in the middle of the afternoon?" Robin asked after the changeling was out of earshot.

"Since when does he shower _period?_" Cyborg chimed in.

"It is a mystery to me…" Starfire said innocently, but she couldn't keep herself from grinning.


	3. Internal Affairs

***A/N* Good to see you again. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope my enjoyment will transfer to you. Enjoy! *A/N***

"Outside, inside, out…" Beast Boy sang under his breath as he scrubbed himself in the shower. He allowed his mind to wander as freely as it could in the shower. All his worries usually became lost in the hot steam. Usually. Today was a special case.

Shutting off the water after he deemed himself reasonably clean, he pushed the curtain aside and stepped outside, the air grabbing his damp body in a cold embrace. Grabbing a towel off of the rack he hoped he hadn't used already, he dried his hair and began to think.

(Where did this even come from? Raven never showed anything to even hint that she may have a crush on you, Dude. I mean, sure, she hugged you once. That's it. And you were taken first when her fears became real that night… Maybe… she always liked you. I mean, her happy side admitted that she always found you funny. Did she just not want to show it all this time? If she did, she hid it well.)

Beast Boy went back to drying himself off, then examined himself in the mirror.

(I guess she has a thing for green.) This thought made him grin.

(She doesn't look half bad either, come to think of it. She looks really good, actually. I mean, her skin's always so clear, her hair's really neat… she's curvy, got nice legs, and even though she almost never does… her smile is illuminating.)

Beast Boy shook himself free of his thoughts. "Dude. You really struck gold." He said out loud to himself.

Wrapping his towel about himself, he went into his cluttered bedroom. He then paused, and tapped his foot in thought. (She said to dress nice.)

Did he own anything 'nice?'

He looked about his room. Most of his clothes were T-Shirts, shorts, and the occasional pair of jeans or cargo pants. And they were all scattered about the room, unwashed. "Crap." He said quietly to himself. Now what was he going to do?

Well, there was no point in standing around with no clothes on. He dropped his towel to the ground and pulled a pair of fresh boxers out of his laundry pile. Pulling them on, he then looked about his floor to look for a shirt that would look good. None of them even remotely constituted formal wear.

Then his face lit up, and he snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. He had bought a black shirt with a collar a few months back just in case there was ever a funeral he needed to go to. Now if only he could remember where he left it.

Raven picked up her mirror. Staring into the glass, she sighed deeply, locked eyes with her reflection, and felt her conscience slip into the Nevermore.

Once again in the astral, warped landscape, she glanced about for her other selves, and was promptly tackled from behind.

"Oh, this is so wonderful! We're finally going to get the chance we've been waiting for!" Pink, her happy side, had trapped her in a bracing hug. She released her and began gleefully hopping up and down and giggling.

"We're going on a date! We're going on a date!" she sang.

Raven was touched lightly from behind, and turned to find Grey, her timid side, pleadingly looking her in the eyes.

"But… what are we going to if it goes bad..?" she whimpered.

"Aw, re-lax!" Green, bravery, had stepped in as well. "We can't think like that! This is completely awesome in every way, and we know it!" she exclaimed.

"After all… how can it go wrong with someone as delectable as him?" Violet, her passion, said with her fingers knit together, licking her lips.

"Calm yourself. We can't be too drastic, it'll scare him away." Cyan, morality, said crisply.

Yellow, intelligence, cleared her throat loudly and adjusted her glasses.

"Girls, please. We can't just create a cesspool of ideas. Even though Grey is being pessimistic as usual, she has a point. We must keep this occasion from souring."

"This is a first for us. And with someone so close. I must admit, I was never a fan of this decision." Cyan said.

"…I'm scared." Grey added.

"We don't have to be scared! All we have to do is be ourselves! That's always worked, because he accepts us for who we are." Pink chirped.

"That's part of why we like him." Violet said.

"Girls. We've failed to answer the critical question. How are we going to make a good impression?" Yellow interjected.

"Good impression?!" Green bellowed. "How many good impressions have we made already?"

Green stepped into the center of the circle, where Raven stood. "How long have we been waiting for something like this to happen? The closest we came was that stupid Goth guy at that party Blackfire took us to! There's so much out there waiting for us!"

Yellow moved to interject, but Green clapped a hand over her mouth. "Zip it, Braniac! On a roll here!" She continued, sounding like a general rallying her troops before a battle.

"We've fought so hard for the freedom to express ourselves, and now's the time to act! Pink is right, all we have to do is be ourselves! What's stopping us from showing the guy we care about that we like him more as a friend? I'll tell you! Nothing! The risk may look big, but the reward is too good to imagine!"

"You can say that again…" purred Violet with a mischievous chuckle.

Yellow raised her brow, then paused to think. "Though I find your heroism reckless, you make a valid point, Green."

Yellow adjusted her glasses again. "I say we should put it to a vote. All against tonight, please raise your hand."

Cyan put her hand in the air resolutely, and Grey briefly shuddered her hand about before it disappeared into her cloak again.

"All for?"

Green punched the air, Pink stuck her hand up eagerly, Violet kissed her palm and raised it high, and Yellow, after a pause, put two fingers above her head as well.

"Then it's settled."

"YES!"

"Hooray!"

"…"

"Divine…"

"Oh no…"

Raven opened her eyes again, and found herself standing in the exact same spot. Her legs wobbled, and she sat herself down on her bed. She was so engaged in her visit, she had allowed a whole hour to slip by while she had this conversation with herself. She swiftly maneuvered to her wardrobe, and opened it. All of her clothes were muted colors, blacks, greys, dark blues, the occasional burgundy or indigo. She fished through her closet, until she found a suitable dress. While removing it, she knocked a small glass bottle from the back of her wardrobe on its side. Picking it up, she examined the label of the heart shaped bottle of opaque pink liquid.

"LADY LUCK: Every Girl Needs A Bit."

Perfume that Starfire had gotten her last Christmas. She placed a miniscule amount on her fingertip and delicately smelled it. It tingled her nostrils, smelling faintly of lavender.

"Why not?" she shrugged, taking the bottle and adding a few drops on her hand before patting the back of her neck.


	4. Nerves and Knives

***A/N* We've got ourselves a big chapter today! This one is where I really let my love for horror movies spill out. For those of you unaware, Dario Argento is a real director, and Raven ain't the only huge fan of him. If you've seen any of the movies or get any of the references I mention in this part, hats off. But enough chit-chat. *A/N***

Beast boy bit his lip as he read the note he had found stuck to his door, written in neat cursive.

"We can't be seen leaving together. I'm going to leave at six to avoid suspicion. Meet me at the Pizza Parlor at six thirty. I'm buying.

-R"

Beast Boy sighed. "She always makes things complicated…" he muttered to himself. Crumpling the note up and shoving it in his pocket, he noticed a button he missed and began to correct the error.

He was proud that he managed to dress himself so nicely from scratch. His shirt, a simple black short sleeved button-up, had been in better shape than he could have asked for, since it was one of the only things he had bothered to put on a coat hanger. He wore a pair of taut blue jeans kept up by a plain brown belt. He had thought about putting on some suspenders, but Raven probably would have strangled him with them. His shoes were plain, lace-less grey loafers.

He looked at himself in the mirror. His short hair, fluffy and clean after showering, probably needed brushing, but he wasn't about to ask Starfire for her brush. Maybe Robin would let him borrow a comb, he always used hair gel, didn't he?

Exiting his room, he turned in the appropriate direction towards Robin, and collided painfully with a heavy metal mass.

"Hey, there you are. We're about to play some games, you in?" Cyborg paused to size up his friend. "You look good for a change. What's the occasion?"

Beast Boy's mouth hung open for a second as his thoughts flipped into overdrive.

"Uhaahh… a…animal rights meeting." He said, feigning normality in his posture by placing a hand on his hip.

"Oh." Cyborg said. "Wait, since when are you an animal rights activist?"

"Since always!" Beast Boy declared. "Geez, where've you been, Dude?"

"Easy, man. I ain't gotta follow everything you do in your spare time." Cyborg chided.

"Okay, well, I gotta find a comb, so tell me who wins." Beast Boy said, briskly walking past Cyborg.

"Oh, hey, one more thing. How's Raven?"

Beast Boy screeched to a halt. He made a weak, confused noise that swiftly turned into a sound of empathy.

"Not good, man. She looks like a leper, snot's coming out of her nose like a freaking storm drain." Beast Boy ad-libbed a flowing motion from his own face for emphasis.

Cyborg scrunched up his face. "Yuck. I think I'm gonna go check on her, see if she needs anything." He began toward Raven's room.

"Uh, no, don't." Beast Boy interjected, putting a hand out. "She just fell asleep, I think she needs her rest."

"Oh, alright. Well, catch you on the rebound." Cyborg said, waving a hand before tromping down the hallway.

Beast Boy sighed quietly and wiped his brow. "Dang, was that close." He whispered when Cyborg was out of earshot.

Ducking into Robin's room, he entered his bathroom. Sure enough, a set of combs sat in a small jar of water by the sink.

(Sorry Robin. Duty calls.) He thought to himself as he removed one at random and began swiping his hair with it.

He hardly ever brushed his hair, he enjoyed the scruffy look. So, he was somewhat inexperienced with the whole process. Combing until he deemed himself decent looking, he shook his head and let his hair naturally spread out. He examined the result.

"Hey, good lookin.'" He mused to himself, flashing his suave reflection a wink.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he glanced at the digital clock Robin had on his bedside table.

"6:23? Oh, damn!" he exclaimed, hurrying out of the room.

Jump City was moving at its usual pace, fast. Cars passed each other on the highway, honking when someone dared to cross their path. Civilians chatted about every subject as they sat on benches, talked into their cell phones, or passed each other on the sidewalk. Neon lights advertised food, drink, games, and gatherings, and billboards screamed out the product or service they advertised in gaudy, blown-up pictures.

Beast Boy made himself scarce, skirting in between passerby. Some turned to look again, others went on their way. Beast Boy was delighted when a newspaper salesman grinned at him and called out "What's up, Green Machine?" But he was in too much of a rush to make small talk, so he offered a hearty "Hey, Dude!" and a big smile, and kept moving.

Reaching the parlor, he briefly checked his reflection in a window for any imperfections before entering. Before he could even talk to the waitress seating people, she jabbed a thumb to her right.

"She's over there."

Beast Boy turned. Sure enough, there she was, at a two-man table by a window. Raven beckoned him over with a finger. He leisurely put his hands in his pockets and began to walk over to her. He nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw her attire.

Raven wore a plain, yet elegant indigo dress that reached about as low as her knees. Her arms were now fully revealed, smooth and grey, as though carved from marble. She wore black heels, not nearly high enough to be tacky. Then he noticed her face. It was faintly dusted with powder, her dark eyes amplified by angular, nearly perfectly symmetrical eyeliner. Her lips were faintly colored from a dull lipstick. Even though she was fine without any make-up, she looked…

"You look great." Beast Boy blurted out.

Raven gave a ghost of a smirk. "Thank you. I'm surprised you managed to look halfway decent."

Beast Boy grinned. "When I want to, I can. I just choose not to, it would give all the ladies a heart attack."

"From fear." Raven added.

Beast Boy kept his grin as he sat down. "Oh, I'm hurt." He simpered, putting a hand to his heart.

"So, tell me, who is this Darryl Argentina?"

"Dario Argento." Raven corrected. "He's Italian. He's made some of the best horror films ever."

"Since when do you watch anything at all?" Beast Boy inquired.

"I'll watch anything Argento is involved with, even if most of newer material is sub-par."

"Huh. Well, I guess I'll have to see what all the fuss is about. Thanks for taking me along… er… could I ask you something, though?"

"If it isn't stupid." Raven chaffed.

"Ha. Ha." Beast Boy said sarcastically. "Seriously, though."

"Shoot."

Beast Boy paused for a moment to adopt the right tone in his voice. "How long have you wanted to do something like this?"

Raven felt the inevitable red return to her cheeks. "Good question." She said, giving a faint, uncomfortable laugh. "Well, I'm not the most open person."

"Understatement of the decade."

"I mean, I never treated you like I should have. Sure, you were annoying. Unbearable, at times. But all you wanted to do was make me happier. I knew that if I got too close to someone, I could end up really hurting them, so I shut you out. But after Trigon, it felt like I was reborn. I smiled more, I felt more upset when something tragic happened, and…"

Raven gave an ashamed sigh. "It pains me to say it… but you became funnier."

Beast Boy, who was drinking his complementary glass of ice water, nearly spouted the water in his mouth, clapping a hand to his mouth to prevent it. Gulping it down, he blinked.

"You think I'm funny?" he uttered, his voice low.

"Don't make me say it again."

Beast Boy felt a smirk creep up his face. "I knew it!" he cried jovially.

"Not finished. Anyway, as if that wasn't disconcerting enough, I started to feel an ache in my chest, too. I honestly thought there was something physically wrong with me at first. Until I realized that it only happened whenever you were around, or when I thought about you."

She groaned and put her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I just…"

She flinched slightly when she felt a hand on her forearm.

Beast Boy smiled gently. "Hey, you don't need to be embarrassed. None of this is bad. And besides, this is still Beast Boy you're talking to, here. You don't have to hide anything from me. I'm your friend."

He felt his own face darken with color as his smile slightly diminished. "If you want the truth…You were always my first choice."

Raven looked up. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, I knew it wouldn't ever happen in a million years… but, if I was allowed to pick anyone to be with me I would have gone for you."

Raven's stomach leapt into her throat. Her eyes widened slightly, and her face flushed.

"You…mean that?"

"Well, it-I… I guess if I thought about who would really be the perfect match for me... Because, I mean, you're so mature, super smart, chill… everything I'm not. But that was like, something that only happened in my craziest, dumbest fantasies, and I've never really considered that for real until right now. Like, RIGHT now."

Raven couldn't respond, and after Beast Boy finished, he couldn't think of anything else to change the subject, so the two sat in silence. The void of conversation continued for about half a minute, neither party being brave enough to look one another in the eye.

Thankfully, a waiter came to their table holding two trays.

"Alright, guys, we've got one small pizza with grilled tofu, and another small with peppers."

He put the trays neatly on the table, Beast Boy thanking him distantly.

"If you guys need anything else, just call, alright?" The friendly waiter said before leaving.

The two heroes began eating their food in silence. After a few minutes, Beast Boy attempted to break the barriers.

"So… what has this Argento guy done? Anything I've seen?"

"No."

Beast Boy frowned when the silence once again overtook them. Determined to make this occasion as laid-back as possible, he put his half-finished pizza slice onto his plate.

"This is getting too awkward." Beast Boy stated shortly.

"I agree." said Raven.

"Well… let's stop it."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Stop being uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's just like any other dinner, except we've got nicer clothes on."

Raven bit into her food and chewed quietly for a moment. "Yeah, well… we did just confess to liking each other."

"So? That's another thing we have in common!"

Raven frowned. "What'll the others think of us if they find out?"

Beast Boy crossed his arms. "You think about what _might _happen way too much. Think about what's happening _now_."

"Well-"

"Ssh, I'm on a roll. Like I said, you're acting like we're already serious together. That's what _might_ happen. But what's happening now? We're having a nice time together, and we're going to go see a movie. There's no point in spoiling now when you're worried about 'buts' or 'ifs.' Maybe we'll get closer in the future, who knows? Maybe we won't, and this'll just be a one-time thing. But right now, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend. We're Beast Boy and Raven, like it's always been."

Raven felt her chest become lighter. He was right.

"Thank you." She said, smiling faintly.

She then checked her watch. "We'd better leave."

Beast Boy stuck what was left of his pizza slice into his mouth, and grabbed two slices to go. "Alrighty." He slurred through a mouthful of crust.

Raven went to the counter and left their waiter a sizable tip, then motioned for Beast Boy to follow her.

The two teens arrived outside of a small two story building. A red neon sign attached over the entrance read "The Ampitheatre."

"It's a little smaller than I thought it would be." Beast Boy admitted.

"It's privately owned. There are only four screens."

Beast Boy opened the door for Raven, bowing melodramatically and extending a hand outward to let her in. Raven rolled her eyes and entered, Beast Boy closing the door with flourish and following her.

The man at the Box Office recognized Raven made a salute towards her.

"Two?" he said, glancing at Beast Boy.

"We've already got our tickets." Raven said, sliding them through the small opening in the booth.

The man tore their stubs and handed them over. "Theater 1."

Raven nodded. "Thanks." she said, entering the door to the theatre, Beast Boy trying to keep up.

Inside the dimly lit lobby, Beast Boy glanced around, and soon felt his jaw drop. There were posters everywhere, of all different genres. Beast Boy had to stop himself from gasping when he laid eyes on a special one, taking Raven's hand a giving it a jerk to get her attention.

"Raven, look! They have the banned poster for Wicked Scary!" he exclaimed, pointing feverishly at the poster of the tentacled fiend clutching the severed head of a blonde teenager, her blood spelling out the title.

"Good thing you're housebroken." Raven remarked.

Behind the concession counter, a portly, middle-aged man with a beard and nose piercing stood, talking to one of the employees. He noticed the approaching teens and raised his hands in the air.

"Raven! Glad to see you made it!" he called out welcomingly. "We were worried you weren't gonna show."

Raven waved in return. "Hey, Toby."

The man strode out from behind the counter, his T-Shirt reading "We Are Going to Eat You!" in dribbling red letters.

"You're looking good tonight, Rae." The man said, noticing her formal wear. He then turned to Beast Boy. "And who's this you got here?"

"Beast Boy, this is Tobias Roberts. He's the owner." Raven said, the man offering a high five, which was gladly returned by the changeling.

"Good to meet you, Dude!" Beast Boy said, grinning and showing his fangs.

"So, Rae's taking you along for the ride, huh?" Tobias asked. "This your first Argento experience?" Beast Boy nodded, which warranted a dark chuckle from the owner. "Great. You're in for a treat."

"Toby, which movies are you showing tonight?" Raven inquired. "I hate to admit it, but I've forgotten."

"Well, tonight, we've got Suspiria and Deep Red back to back." Tobias said, counting off on his fingers. Raven smirked.

"Excellent." She said, giving a thumbs up.

"I know, right? I figured we should start off strong." Tobias then turned to Beast Boy. "You know, I thought I was the biggest Argento geek out there until I met Raven. This girl's seen everything he's done, even the movies that weren't released outside of Italy! She knows everything about the guy, she gave _me _lessons!"

Beast Boy put a hand on his hip.

"Isn't that funny? At the tower, I can't even get her to tell me the time." He teased, which earned him a sharp elbow to the ribs.

"So, previews are starting in about five minutes. You kids want any refreshments?"

Raven turned to Beast Boy, who shrugged. "Yeah, I guess we could use some." She said.

"I already know what you want, Rae. How about you, kid?"

"Um… you got anything vegetarian?"

Tobias turned around to the employee behind the counter. "Hey Wade! We got any tofurkey burgers left?" he called out. The employee, a muscular young man with round sunglasses and a large tattoo of a demon traveling up his arm, checked beneath the counter, and nodded shortly.

"Cook one up for my buddy Beastie here!"

The employee nodded again, and set to work.

"You kids can go sit down, I'll have Wade bring your stuff."

The two teens thanked the owner for his generosity and went into the darkened theater.

Tobias went over to the counter and leaned an elbow on the top.

"So, what do you think, Wade? Rae's got a boy with her."

Wade looked up from the oven and shrugged.

"Think they'll stick together?"

Shrug.

"You think about anything?"

Shrug.

Raven led Beast Boy up to her usual seat in the back, passing the four or five other audience members.

"Not very crowded here, is it?" Beast Boy murmured.

"Why do you think I come?" Raven replied plainly.

After they were both seated comfortably, Beast Boy kept the flow of conversation running.

"So, how long have you known that guy?"

"Toby was one of my first friends in the City. I go here every weekend on our nights off."

"So that's where you go, we always wondered."

"Keep it that way. I'd prefer not to have any more tagalongs."

"Is that what I am now? A tagalong?"

"Yep."

"I seem to remember you inviting me, lady."

"Don't make me regret it."

The previews soon began, none of the movies really sparking Beast Boy's interest, most of them just coming off as weird or confusing.

"These movies are too smart for me." Beast Boy whispered to Raven, the joke actually making Raven grin. Pleased with himself, Beast Boy went back to watching.

During the trailer for "Enter The Void," Wade entered the dark room, still wearing his sunglasses, bringing the teens their refreshments.

"How can you see?" Beast Boy asked.

Wade adjusted his glasses and shrugged before leaving.

After the final trailer ended, the first movie began. After a thundering drumbeat over the opening credits, a deep voiced narrator began speaking.

"Suzy Bannion decided to perfect her ballet studies in the most famous school of dance in Europe…"

"What is this, a movie, or an audiobook?" Beast Boy jested. Raven made a 'hush' motion with her finger.

The movie played out. Beast Boy was a highly reactive audience member, reinforcing the movie with appropriate exclamations of "Oh, nasty!" or "Dude! That's wrong!" He also became confused a few times and had to ask Raven what was going on, and she quickly filled him in.

By the end, when the heroine stabbed the main villainess through the neck with a fancy dagger, Beast Boy was totally absorbed.

"Yeah! She got her!" he cheered. Raven, though her face remained stoic, was having great fun watching her date react to the movie.

The movie's ending credits rolled, and Beast Boy clapped.

"I take it you liked it?" Raven asked.

"That… was the weirdest movie I've ever seen. But MAN was it cool!"

"I could tell you enjoyed it. You never shut up through the whole thing."

Beast Boy sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry."

"It's no problem, this was probably the twelfth time I've seen it. I can't guarantee you'll find the next one as exciting, but it's just as good, if not better."

"Sweet." The two sat for a moments, watching the credits, before Beast Boy cleared his throat and spoke up again.

"Hey, could I try something?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"No, but you have 100% veto power, if you don't want to. Do you mind if I put my arm around you, or whatever?"

The sorceress felt the familiar sensation of her face flushing. "Oh." She responded.

"I mean, that's all. I just want to stretch out and, you're kind of, it's just, I… crap." Beast Boy's face fell when his reasoning collapsed in on itself.

"Promise me you won't try anything moronic." Raven said, her face as placid as ever with a hue of pink.

"What?" Beast Boy replied, growing flustered. "No, you know I wouldn't ever-"

"Go ahead." She interrupted, with an air of impatience.

There were no words after that, Beast Boy gulped, and carefully extended his arm outward. As though putting his arm in hot water, he delicately, slowly placed it about Raven's shoulders. They were sharp and pointed, she was so slim. Her skin was supple and somewhat cold. Raven laid her head backward onto Beast Boy's arm leisurely, and he caught a whiff of her lavender perfume.

"This is…nice." Beast Boy murmured.

"The movie's starting." Raven said dismissively. But in her mind, she agreed with him tenfold.


	5. Contact Confirmed

***A/N* And we're back! Thanks to all who have reviewed and favorited this story, it really means a lot to me. I tried to involve all the characters in this chapter, since the last was pretty much Raven and Beast Boy only. Enjoy! *A/N***

The Red Android was thrown into the face of the cliff by the Blue one. Unable to stand up in time, Blue body checked him in the abdomen, pinning him to the cliff face. Rearing back, he delivered a crushing blow to the Red Android's face, caving it in entirely and exposing the mangled, sparking circuitry within.

2P Wins: Cyborg

"BOOYAH!" Cyborg cheered, throwing his hands up into the air. "That's two out of three, Robin! You owe me a steak!"

Robin tossed his controller onto the couch and frowned heartily. Even though he hated admitting it, he had lost fair and square.

"Next time, Tin Man." He warned.

"Next time I'll kick your butt twice as hard! Maybe I should raise the stakes, too. The T-Car could use a good hand waxing." Cyborg put his feet up onto the table.

Robin, not enjoying Cyborg's bragging, attempted to change the subject.

"Tell me again why Beast Boy's out tonight?"

"Ah, he said he had some animal rights thing to go to. You should have seen him, he was lookin' sharp."

Robin furrowed his brow. "He's never told us about any animal rights group."

"Probably because none of us would care." Cyborg said truthfully, returning the game to its main menu.

Robin nodded. "You're probably right. But… I kind of have a funny feeling."

Cyborg groaned. "You get a funny feeling if somebody blows their nose wrong, Robin."

Robin raised a brow. "You know I'm right most of the time."

"So, what are you saying? Beast Boy's off with The Hive or something?" Cyborg remarked sarcastically.

"I'm saying that there may be more than meets the eye. Everybody but us has been acting weird. Starfire keeps blushing randomly, and haven't Beast Boy and Raven seemed sort of distant tonight?"

"Well, Raven's got the flu, she's out cold." Cyborg replied.

"You sure about that? I saw her this morning, she didn't look sick."

Cyborg sighed and turned to his friend. "Look, if you're so suspicious, why don't you just see for yourself? But don't come crying to me when she knocks you into next week for going into her room without her permission."

Robin stood up. "You know what? I think I will go see for myself." He turned and walked up the steps.

"See you at the mortuary, I'll look for your toe tag." Cyborg called after him, starting up an online match.

The match played out as most of Cyborg's did, he wiped the floor with his opponent. In the second round, he didn't take a single unit of damage.

"That's right." He cheered to himself, taking a heavy gulp of his soda. "I'm bad."

The image on the TV suddenly blipped out of existence.

"Woah!" he exclaimed in protest, turning to see a very serious faced Robin holding the remote in front of him.

"What was that about, man?" Cyborg bellowed.

"Raven's missing." came the grim reply.

"She's what?"

"See for yourself."

The duo stood outside of Raven's open door. Sure enough, her bed lay unoccupied, neatly made with her royal blue cloak laying folded on top of the comforter.

Cyborg and Robin exchanged confused looks.

"What's going on?" Cyborg inquired.

"I don't know, but I just tried Raven's communicator."

"And?"

"Static."

Cyborg gave Robin a look of dread. "You don't think… anything happened? I mean, she never goes anywhere without her cloak."

"We can't risk anything. Starfire was the last to see her, let's try her."

The two hurried to Starfire's bedroom door and Cyborg knocked heavily.

"Star? You got a second?" he called out.

Starfire opened her door and gave her two friends a glowing smile.

"Hello, Robin! Hello, Cyborg! What brings you here?"

"Starfire, Raven's not in her room, and her communicator is off." Robin said. "We were wondering if you noticed anything odd about her when you talked to her this afternoon."

Starfire put on a look of heavy confusion. "No, I am afraid I did not."

Cyborg put a finger to his chin. "Hey, come to think of it, what _were_ you two talking about for so long? BB said she was too weak to even move."

Starfire gulped silently, but maintained her façade to the best of her abilities. "It... took quite some time to rouse her from such a deep slumber." she lied.

Robin wasn't buying it. "Star, is there something you aren't telling us?" he challenged, crossing his arms.

"Of course not!" Starfire replied fervently. "I am not one to keep secrets from my dear friends!"

The two exchanged looks once again. Cyborg flashed a wink towards Robin, who nodded.

"So, you're saying you don't know a thing about Raven?" Cyborg asked.

"Not a single thing." Starfire said.

Cyborg pursed his lips together, before making a clicking sound with his tongue. "Well, my detector says otherwise."

Cyborg showed Starfire his wrist, in which a small panel had opened up, revealing a small screen that blinked the word 'LIAR' in bright red letters. Starfire felt her blood freeze as she placed a hand over her mouth.

"Well?" Robin asked, raising a brow accusingly.

Starfire stammered a few consonants before she finally snapped.

"I have been sworn to secrecy!" she cried, and slammed her door shut, locking it feverishly.

"Starfire!" Cyborg exclaimed, attempting to get the door open.

"Hang on." Robin said, pulling a small rectangular item from his utility belt. Pressing the lone button on top, it beeped shrilly, and the door lock clicked open.

"How long have you had that thing?" Cyborg demanded as Robin opened the door by hand.

Starfire had fled onto her bed and buried her face into a pillow. Robin and Cyborg strode over to her bedside.

"Star. Where's Raven?" Robin asked.

Starfire squeaked something into her pillow, her voice too muffled to be understood.

"Can't hear you." Robin said.

"I cannot tell you! It would be a betrayal of trust!" she wailed, lifting her head from her hiding place only to drop back down after speaking.

Robin sighed. "Look, Starfire, we care about Raven just as much as you do. It's not healthy for our relationship as a team if you can't tell us about sensitive stuff."

Starfire sat up and grabbed Robin's shoulders.

"This is much different from sensitivity! If Raven discovers that I have performed the spilling of the legumes, I fear she will never forgive me!"

"Come on, Star. Raven may be cold at times, but you know she isn't vindictive. I'm sure she would understand if something this important, whatever it is, came to be known by all of us, even if she entrusted you with its secrecy."

"I am afraid you do not understand. This is not, as you say, 'up your alley.' This is a…a…"

Robin leaned forward expectantly. "A..?"

"It is a girl thing." Starfire finished, giving a firm nod to reinforce her statement.

Robin groaned and slapped a palm to his forehead. Cyborg nudged him from behind.

"Hey Rob, why don't we just leave Star alone for now?"

"Gimme a minute, Cyborg." Robin said impatiently.

"I _really_ think we should just let this go, Robin. Come on, now." Cyborg said insistently, practically pushing Robin out of the bedroom door as he advanced himself. Robin began barking orders as Cyborg turned to Starfire and smiled innocently.

"Sorry for bugging you." He said pleasantly, before shutting the door.

"WHAT was that about?!" Robin demanded, throwing his arms out beside him as Cyborg turned to face him.

"Robin, chill for a minute. I think-"

"Don't just tell me to 'chill!' You know that you don't have the-" Before Robin could continue, Cyborg placed a heavy metal hand over his friend's mouth, muffling his heated scolding.

"That's better. Listen man, I think I know what's going on around here."

Robin, mouth still blocked, attempted to squirm free, but was held in place by his friend's iron grip.

"You gonna let me talk, or do I have to Fax you when you're in a better mood?" Cyborg asked.

Robin ceased his writhing about and stared at Cyborg with an expression of impatience. His friend released him, and he shook his head and glared at Cyborg.

"Fine. But don't ever do that again."

Cyborg grinned with satisfaction. "Thanks. Now, doesn't it seem weird that on the same night, Beast Boy lies about where he's going and Raven disappears?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out."

"Did you ever think that the two may be in on this together?"

Robin paused. "You know, you may be right about that. Now that I think about it, they both disappeared between the same time frame."

"And Beast Boy was dressed nice and acting shifty."

"And Raven didn't take her cloak with her."

"And neither of them wanted us to know they had gone anywhere suspicious."

"In the early evening."

"On a Friday."

"With a beautiful sunset."

The two of them stopped and thought in silence for a few moments before Cyborg spoke up.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he inquired.

Robin shook his head. "No no no, we can't just jump to conclusions. The first thing Bruce Wayne taught me when investigating something: if you want to accuse someone of anything, there has to be airtight proof."

Cyborg looked back into Raven's room and pointed something out. "That looks pretty airtight to me."

Robin looked for himself, and felt his heart skip a beat. "Oh, boy." He said, defeated.

The freshly opened bottle of perfume sat on Raven's bedside table, the removed plastic binding seated next to it.

"We've got trouble."

"You two come back, now." Tobias called out from across the lobby after he saw Raven and Beast Boy exit the theater. The two returned his farewell.

"Later, Toby."

"See ya, Dude!"

Wade gave them a smirk and flashed Beast Boy a peace sign.

"Hang loose, Wade!" Beast Boy exclaimed, returning the gesture with a grin.

The two exited the building, the city ready and waiting to greet them, being far from deserted. Multi-colored lights lit the streets up like a Christmas tree.

"So, did you enjoy yourself?" Raven inquired as they began walking home.

"Are you kidding? Both of those movies were awesome! Deep Red had one of the best twists I've ever seen!"

"Hm." Raven responded, admittedly surprised that he had been willing to be as patient as he was to allow Deep Red to finish.

"I mean, WOW! I totally didn't see that coming, did you?" Beast Boy asked, his voice full to the brim with excitement.

"This was my third time watching that movie, but yes, the identity of the killer took me completely by surprise the first time around." Raven replied.

"I know! It was literally the last person I suspected, but it all made sense in the end!"

"That's why I love Argento's early movies, I almost never guess the murderer correctly."

"Wow, if they're smart enough to fool you, then they'll definitely get me." Beast Boy quipped. "Which one was your favorite?"

"Of tonight, the first one, Suspiria. But overall, my favorite of Argento's and possibly my favorite movie in general, is Opera."

Beast Boy wrinkled his nose. "Ah man, I hate opera."

Raven scoffed. "It isn't an actual opera, dimwit. The main character is an operetta. And if you must know why I like it so much, I can relate to it on a personal level."

Beast Boy waggled his brows. "You want to sing opera, Rae?" he teased.

"Don't be asinine." Raven said flatly. "You know… they're showing Argento's movies all week. If you want, you can come see Opera with me on Sunday."

Beast Boy was taken aback. "Really?" he said incredulously.

"Why not? You seem to enjoy what we watch, and you were more tolerable than I expected this evening."

Beast Boy smirked. "That means a lot." He remarked sardonically. "But, sure. I guess I could do this again. It was fun."

"I suppose it was." Raven agreed.

"Especially the cuddling." Beast Boy added, elbowing Raven mischievously.

Raven felt her face redden, but she kept up her poker face as she turned to Beast Boy. "Don't push your luck." She warned. "I can still bend you like putty if I wanted to."

"Playing that card, are ya?" Beast Boy parried. "You enjoyed yourself, don't deny it."

"I'm not denying anything. But if you ever try anything dumb, they'll have to bury your remains in a soda can."

"So you admit to liking it."

Raven sighed and shook her head. "Jerk."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Prude." He replied.

"Try-hard." Raven countered.

"Bookworm." Came the reply.

"Airhead."

"Know-it-all."

"Spaz."

"Hipster."

"Acrimonious, judgmental, capricious pea-brain." Raven knew she had him beat with that, and the period of silence that followed proved her victory.

"Bombshell." Beast Boy said quietly, with a small grin.

Raven felt her entire body briefly tremble with the surge of adrenaline that followed this comment. Her face felt like it was on fire since it had heated up so quickly, and her mouth only fidgeted weakly when she tried to respond.

Beast Boy's mirth quickly faded when she saw how shocked Raven was. Had he gone too far?

"Uh, sorry, I didn't…" he attempted, extending a hand in her direction. His statement died in his throat when Raven delicately took his hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Playboy." She retorted, giving him a timid, but genuine, smile of flattery.

Beast Boy, relieved he hadn't upset her and pleasantly surprised at her act of affection, felt his cheeks flush as he smiled too.

"Tease." The two ended their friendly competition at that, and chose to walk in silence, fingers intertwined.

Titan's Tower was silent by the time Raven and Beast Boy made it back to the island. There were a few lights on, signifying that someone might still be awake.

"What time do you have?" Raven asked Beast Boy. The changeling checked his watch.

"It's nearly midnight. I'm guessing Robin might still be up, he probably lost track of the time working out."

Raven pursed her lips. "That complicates things." She turned to Beast Boy. "Here's what's going to happen. We get up to the common room, and we disappear into our own rooms. No talking, no noise, no dawdling. Understood?"

"Gotcha." Beast Boy concurred.

The two called the elevator, praying that no one was within earshot to hear the digital beeping that it made. The doors neatly slid open, and they stepped inside. As they ascended, Beast Boy spoke up.

"Hey, before we part ways, lemme say that I really had a nice time tonight."

Raven nodded. "I did too. Thank you for coming."

Nearing their floor, Beast Boy felt a surge of bravery in the heat of the moment. Under the control of his instincts, he appeared at Raven's side. Leaning in quickly, he placed a soft peck on her pale cheek, catching another breath of that intoxicating lavender perfume. Almost too fast to be considered a kiss, it was a simple, sweet gesture, a light brushing of lips against skin.

Too nervous to look at her again, he returned to his original spot, staring at the floor and feeling his heart slam against his chest as if it was trying to break out. Raven brought her fingers up to the spot where the contact occurred. She felt the color in her face flood down to the very end of her nose, and warmth crept into every pore of her body.

"That wasn't necessary. But thank you."

The elevator whirred to a halt, and the screen above them blinked, signaling that they had reached the main floor. Biting her lip with apprehension, Raven watched the doors slide open. She was met with darkness, the only light being the flickering bulb over the stove that the team had agreed to always leave on in case one of them should get up in the middle of the night.

Raven tapped Beast Boy, still somewhat dazed from the act he performed. He looked at her meekly, and found her expression as stoic as always. She made a quick motion with her head for them to get going, and he complied. Walking quickly and quietly, the two of them advanced side by side towards the living quarters.

"A-hem."

Beast Boy nearly fell flat on his face when he heard the deliberate sound of a throat being cleared. Raven slowed to a stop and closed her eyes with frustration, softly cursing under her breath.

A lamp was flicked on to reveal Robin, sitting cross legged on the couch, his fingers drumming rhythmically on the arm-rest.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, kids." He chided, mirroring a suspicious parent, but he was unable to keep a small smirk off of his face.

Another light flashed to life in the adjoining hallway, revealing Cyborg standing by the switch.

"Busted." he proclaimed.

Raven clenched her fists together, and audibly growled through grit teeth.

"Starfire!" she bellowed accusingly. On cue, another light by the television came to life, revealing a mortified Starfire.

"I told them nothing, Raven! They discovered your excursion independently!" she squeaked, pointing a finger at Robin and another at Cyborg.

"She's telling the truth, Raven. She never uttered a word." Robin defended. Raven whirled to face him, her eyes beginning to glow white.

"And what gave you the right to go sniffing around in my business?" she demanded, her voice quiet and dangerous.

Robin kept his cool. "Well, you lied about your condition, disappeared without a trace, wouldn't answer your communicator…" Robin listed, counting off on his fingers.

"To be honest, Rae, I thought you were kidnapped at first. You put a scare into the two of us." Cyborg said, walking down the steps.

Raven's eyes gradually returned to normal as her anger began to subside. They had a point.

"Alright, fine. You were never supposed to know I had gone." Raven defended, sighing heavily afterword.

"Why didn't you just tell us where you were going?" Cyborg asked. "That would have saved us all the trouble."

Raven knit her brows. "It's a little difficult admitting something like this at the drop of a hat, isn't it?" she said irritably.

"She could barely tell _me_." Beast Boy chimed in.

"Well, I have no problem with the two of you dating. As long as you keep it off the battlefield, I'm all for it." Robin proclaimed.

"Yeah, we're all cool with it. Can't say I saw it coming, though. I mean, Raven, you really had a thing for Beast Boy..?" He silenced himself when he got a razor sharp glare from Raven.

Robin stood up and made his way over to his teammates. "Well, I'm heading to bed. If need be, we can talk about this more in the morning." Robin patted Beast Boy on the shoulder.

"You look nice, by the way." He remarked towards Raven nonchalantly as he headed up to his room.

Cyborg, not really in the mood to talk anymore, simply shrugged. "Hope y'all had a fun night." He said, giving a farewell wave. "Just be sure to not go MIA next time." And with that, he retreated into his room.

Starfire stuck around, however. She approached the two with a tremendous smile on her face. Before she could even open her mouth to speak, Raven held up a hand.

"In the morning, Starfire. I'm too tired and annoyed for interrogation." She said.

Starfire nodded, slightly crestfallen. But before she left, she pulled both of her friends into a back breaking hug, causing Beast Boy to quietly mutter "Ow."

"This dwelling is illuminated in the glow of your affection!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"Starfire, seriously." Raven insisted.

The alien princess let the two of them go and flew away, giggling.

The fact that the two had been left alone fell upon the couple quite suddenly. At a loss for words, Beast Boy scuffed the floor with one foot.

"So much for secrecy." Raven said.

"You're not really mad, are you?" inquired Beast Boy.

"I'll get over it. I should know better than to hide things from the apprentice of one of the greatest detectives ever."

"I mean… about earlier. In the elevator."

"Oh. Well, it was very forward for my taste, but, truthfully, it was kind of sweet."

Beast Boy smiled ruefully. "Thanks."

"The only thing to do now is return the favor."

Raven stepped forward and took his chin in one hand. Swiftly, she planted a gentle kiss directly on his lips. It was over too quickly for Beast Boy to kiss her back, but he relished the few moments it lasted.

"That was for a good first date. Don't expect it too often." Raven said. And with that, she walked past him into the hallway, disappearing into her room.

Beast Boy stood alone in the deserted common room. Touching a finger to his lips, he found some of her dull lipstick.

"What a day." He remarked to himself, laughing shortly before exiting.

***A/N* Now isn't that sweet? We're nearing the end here, folks. It's been really fun writing this story. Those who would like to see a sequel or tie-in of some sort, please let me know. *A/N* **


	6. Silence Is Golden

***A/N* It was a real treat to write this story, guys. My thirst for BBRae has now been quenched. But if again, if anyone would like a sequel, please let me know. Enjoy! *A/N***

Jennifer screamed in horror as she saw Morris decapitated in front of her with a heavy sheet of steel. Frau Brückner, frenzied and soaked with blood, pinned Jennifer to the ground with the weapon, forcing it against her neck.

"He was diseased… but he was my son!" Brückner said tearfully, before her insane rage overtook her again. "And you have… why didn't I kill you before!?"

Beast Boy sat crouched on the edge of his seat, his eyes glued to the screen. Raven, having seen the film before, took greater pleasure in watching him react to the mayhem unfolding on screen.

Brückner collapsed when an assailant struck her from behind. Inga, the domesticated chimp of Professor McGregor, had slashed the lunatic with a straight razor. Screeching, Inga finished the job by repeatedly slicing bloody gashes into Brückner's throat and face.

Jennifer and Inga embraced each other as the film ended.

"Yeah, baby! Chalk one up for the Animal Kingdom!" Beast Boy put a fist in the air and whooped.

"Beast Boy, I'm glad you enjoyed the movie, but seriously, you need to shut up. People are staring." Raven scolded.

Indeed, the handful of other audience members had turned to look at the cheering changeling, although most of them were amused at his enthusiasm.

"Oh, sorry." Beast Boy said, sitting back down and crossing his arms. "That was cool, I guess." He said, in a subdued, pretentious voice he pulled from nowhere.

"But it was pretty lame, too. Everything's lame." he continued, creating a caricature of an angst ridden teenager.

Raven couldn't help but give a small, dry chuckle. "Okay, thatwas kind of funny."

"I need to get into the proper mindset, right? It's not fair, you're like that 24/7." Beast Boy teased, prodding Raven in the shoulder.

"I'm surprised you know what 'mindset' means." Raven fired back.

"You know, you're lucky I'm so nice. Any other guy couldn't handle you being so rude all the time."

Raven smirked. "You're lucky_ I'm_ patient enough to deal with _you_."

"There you go again, sourpuss." Beast Boy jeered.

Raven's retort was cut off by the beeping of her communicator. She flipped it open, and the screen showed Robin on the other end.

"Can I help you?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow impatiently.

"Just checking to see if you have your communicator on this time around." Robin defended gently. "You guys having a good time?"

"We would be if you hadn't interrupted us. Out." Raven flipped her communicator shut and put it in her pocket. The formal wear of Friday had been exchanged for more casual clothes, so Raven wore dark blue jeans, black sandals, and a sleeveless black shirt with a skull in the center.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom." Beast Boy stated, standing up with a bit of flourish.

"Don't get lost." Raven goaded.

"Bully." Beast Boy retorted, and he hurried down the steps. Entering the hallway, he paused to stretch out a bit, hearing his joints pop gratefully. After giving his neck a good crank, he entered the restroom.

"Earth below us, drifting, falling…" he idly sung to himself as performed his necessaries. After finishing, he turned to the sink, and found himself staring at a well-built young man with round sunglasses.

"'Sup, Wade?" he greeted cheerfully. The silent employee nodded in greeting. Beast Boy washed his hands, taking more care than he normally would have to make sure they were spotless. He took an extra paper towel to make sure there was no leftover water on his hands.

"So, you two are serious?"

Beast Boy paused in the midst of drying his hands. He looked over to Wade, who was still facing him. Double checking to see if anyone else had entered the restroom, he gave him a look of confusion.

"Uh… did you just say something?" he asked.

"You two are serious?" Wade inquired again. No mistaking it that time.

"Well… Yeah, I think so, I mean-since when do you talk?" Beast Boy couldn't stop himself from asking. Wade shrugged.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine." Wade added.

"I…er… well, I don't see why we wouldn't be. But this is only our second date."

Wade pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You should ask her."

Beast Boy still didn't quite grasp the situation, and he blinked several times before responding again.

"Why?" he asked.

"I just think you should. She's a good match for you." Wade said.

"Oh. Okay." Beast Boy replied. What else could he say?

"I'll see you around." Wade finished. Turning to leave the bathroom, he paused as he reached for the door handle.

"Hope everything works out." He said. And with that, he made his exit. Beast Boy, still clutching his used wad of paper towels, shook his head. "Whatever."

Lobbing his garbage into the can, he exited the bathroom and went back inside the theatre and hurried up to his seat.

"Right on time. The credits are about to start." Raven greeted. Beast Boy took a seat next to her. After a period of silence, he spoke up.

"Are we serious?"

Raven gave him a look. "I beg your pardon?"

"I mean, I was just thinking. I've really been enjoying your company… if that doesn't sound creepy. If it does, I guess-"

Raven cut him off by giving him a generous kiss on the cheek.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Garfield. Now watch the movie." She said, her voice as flat and subdued as ever. She rested her head upon his shoulder after answering, and Beast Boy once again felt his senses tingle when the sweet smell of lavender graced his nose. Sighing, not from dissatisfaction, but from pleasure, he rested his head atop hers, breathing in the scent of not only her perfume, but her natural smell as well, which was just as, if not more, hypnotizing.

"I'll take that as a yes."

***A/N* Thanks to all who have been kind enough to praise this story, I never expected this much popularity. I hope you've enjoyed going on this little adventure with me, I certainly had a blast. Until next time. *A/N***


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